From Linear TV to OTT to Social

In the past few weeks, I’ve spent hours studying trends, listening to industry experts, reflecting on my own experiences, and observing firsthand the transformation of the television industry.

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To frame my perspective: Born in 1996, I grew up watching cable TV at its peak. If I dig deep into my memories, I can still recall the exact channel numbers of my favorites—Discovery, Animal Planet, and National Geographic—45 on cable TV, and later 623, when HD channels and large bundled packages became part of the service.

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I can still feel the excitement of going with my father to rent a movie on a Friday night—the distinct smell of the plastic cases, the satisfying crack of the box opening, the disappointment of realizing the movie wasn’t available, and the sting of forgetting to return it on time—only to face the dreaded late fees the next day.

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At the same time, I witnessed the introduction and early evolution of OTT(streaming “over the top” of the internet, accessible on any device) breaking free from traditional cable infrastructure.

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I still remember the first time I heard about something called YouTube in primary school. It took me days of Googling to finally find this platform - one I initially thought was spelled "U2". Even more I still remember the first video I ever watched on YouTube - a bloopers compilation titled "Golpes y Caídas Varios." But I don’t remember the first movie I watched on Netflix. That, in itself, says a lot.

Changes in consumer behavior, largely driven by technological advancements, have completely reshaped the way content is consumed. While the essence remains the same, the goal is still to entertain, the formats and distribution channels are evolving at an unprecedented pace.

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The Shift: From Linear TV to OTT to Social

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What we once knew as television (linear TV) is rapidly losing ground, with Generation X + Y still sustaining much of its viewership. As we move down in age, OTT platforms are gaining traction.

If we go even younger—towards Gen Z and Alpha—we see high growing trend, where social platforms like Youtube and Tik Tok start to gain most of their attention span.

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The Fierce Battle: Transition of Linear TV to OTTs

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The real revolution and competitive battle is unfolding in the OTT space. Media and entertainment companies realized years ago that their future depended on their ability to adapt their content and distribution methods to serve audiences beyond traditional television.

The first movers, like Netflix, paved the way and set industry standards, while major media corporations observed and took notes for years. Eventually, they made their move—at first cautiously, but as market dynamics evolved, they found themselves in a race to capitalize on the surging demand.

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And in the Middle of This Furious Competitive Battle... The Users!

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Caught in the crossfire of this ever-changing landscape are the viewers—trying to navigate this labyrinth of platforms, content options, and business models:

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• Where the landscape feels perpetually under construction—one day, you find the content you’re looking for, the next day it’s gone.
• Where content choices seem unlimited—yet audiences struggle between watching what they think they want and what an algorithm recommends to them.
• Where SVOD and AVOD subscriptions are now a fragmented mix, forcing users to juggle between paid and ad-supported models.

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The Youth Factor: A Shift That Defines the Future

And things get even more interesting when we observe younger audiences, where:

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1. YouTube and social platforms dominate their attention spans, taking the lead in daily content consumption.‍

2. Streaming platforms (SVOD & AVOD) come next, serving as complementary content sources.‍

3. Linear TV is fading into the background, with its last remnants sustained by an aging audience, slowly diminishing over time.

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The question is no longer "Is television evolving?" but rather..."Who will master the next generation of content consumption?"

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This is the new era of entertainment.

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A battlefield for platforms, a puzzle for advertisers, and an endless maze for consumers.

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For a deeper analysis into the topic check our latest report.

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